Teenage Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

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Teenage Sexual Harassment in the Workplace By Alicia Noel November 17, 2013 BACKGROUND In a growing epidemic, The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EOCC) reports teenagers, both males and females, are the highest ranking group affected by sexual harassment in the workplace. At an alarming rate, studies show each year over 200,000 teenagers are sexually assaulted or harassed while on the job. This tremendous growth has led to an increase in the amount of sexual claims the EOCC has filed on behalf of young victims, specifically, teenage females. New trends have suggested young females are victimized more than their male counterparts by supervisors and managers via their part-time jobs at local fast food chains, movie theaters, and other low-paying industries that employ young workers. While teen males typically do no report acts of harassment, many teen females come forward alleging misconduct by supervisors and managers subjecting them to sexual comments, demands for sex, and repeated groping, all while at the workplace. INTRODUCTION How do we define sexual harassment in the workplace? Does it differ from what we already know about sexual harassment? The EOCC defines sexual harassment as any unwanted sexual advance, request for sexual favors, and any physical or verbal conduct of sexual nature that 1) Is a term or condition of employment, implied explicitly or implicitly, 2) Submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as a basis for employment decisions against an individual, 3) Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment. Did you know sexual harassment takes on various forms ranging from non-verbal, verbal, and physical acts of harassment? A physical act requires body contact, including kissing, hugging,
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